Science has long known that not all fats are created equal, but a shocking new study from the University of Barcelona finds that a common saturated fat, palmitic acid, may aggravate type 2 diabetes, while oleic acid offers protective benefits.
recent workpublished in Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, Investigated the effects of palmitic and oleic acids and found that these fats behave very differently inside the body. “Palmitic acid, a saturated fatty acid widely found in foods, has been linked to impaired insulin sensitivity, while oleic acid, abundant in olive oil, may have protective effects against these metabolic disorders.” Professor Manuel Vazquez-Carrera explainedWho were part of the unprecedented team of the study.
What is palmitic acid and why are researchers concerned?
In fact, experts have gone so far as to theorize that the type of fat we eat is more important than the overall amount. This is because palmitic acid, a common saturated fat found in meat, dairy and plant oils, is known to trigger metabolic disease. “At the molecular level, palmitic acid promotes the accumulation of potentially toxic bioactive lipids, promotes low-grade chronic inflammation, and contributes to the dysfunction of cellular organelles,” explained the project’s first author, Javier Palomar.
Why Oleic Acid Can Support Better Metabolic Health?
While palmitic acid may be inherent in many foods, its use in cooking oils often increases the total amount consumed. However, oleic acid, a naturally occurring monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid found primarily in olive oil, may be a better option. This is because oleic acid has a more favorable metabolic profile and promotes the storage of lipids with minimal disruption to physiological processes, helping to preserve proper insulin signaling in key tissues such as liver, muscle and adipose tissue.
Studies show that oleic acid may also counteract many of the negative effects caused by palmitic acid, which may explain why diets rich in monounsaturated fats, such as the Mediterranean diet, are consistently associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
